Your medical practice or doctor’s office can engage patients by posting quality content and photos that patients can relate to. New articles, content, or photos that provide information and promote discussions is an awesome and easy way to engage with your patients. You may be thinking, how can I increase engagement on my Facebook posts? I've been posting and haven't gotten much feedback! Don't worry, here are 5 tips that are sure to get your posts the love that they deserve.

Posts that are short and to the point get a higher response rate than ones that are too long. A person posting on Thursday and Friday is most likely to get increased engagement because the work week is winding down and people are starting to turning to social media. Another easy way to spark engagement is by simply asking. Seriously! Asking questions often gets more comments than the average post. Facebook is a wonderful healthcare social media tool that can be easily managed if you follow these tips!

Design Your Facebook Page for Patients

Before designing your Facebook Page, it's crucial to know what a typical patient is like for your practice. Are they older men and women, college kids, or young professionals? What is their income, education level, interests, health insurance, eating habits, hobbies and activities? Why are they coming to your practice? This helps you decide if Facebook is right for your practice and what to write/post for patients.

Create a Blog About Your Specialty

Create a blog with articles that relate to your specialty. Blogs written by a doctor or nurse at the office will be well read. Keep the content simple and easy to understand for patients so it is easily digestible. You don't want readers running away because you're using foreign medical talk! Articles should provide information that helps patients cope with a chronic disease or health problem while maintaining up to date information.

Post Photos

About 39% more patients interact more with posts that include photos, so don't forget to include images! Post pictures of your practice inside. Perhaps patients waiting in the waiting room, patients in the lab, equipment used to treat patients, or your staff. Photos often serve as conversation pieces and what better way to capitalize on conversation by bringing it back to your practice? Photos of patients’ pets, newborn babies, etc., are all the types of photos that drive patient engagement. By posting photos of your practice, patients, and staff, you are able to put a face to your practice and connect to the online community in an organic way.

Use Short Posts

Often times, people prefer reading quick, short posts rather than reading long ones. After all, we live in a fast paced world where we want it now, now, now. Don't miss out on easy engagement by being too wordy and losing people's attention. Condensing your information into short, easily readable sentences may seem hard at first, but it'll becomes second nature. Just keep in mind what you want to read on Facebook and you'll be on the right track. After a posting for awhile, you'll get into a groove where you'll be able to say a lot in a little amount of space.

Create a Video that Draws in New Patients

Create a print ad or video that draws in new patients by giving them a discount on your services or treatment. Keep your information current so they can contact you online and/or by phone. By turning your discounts, office information, or fun facts into a video, you'll be able to catch the eye of those scrolling through on Facebook. People love watching videos, so what better way to connect and attract new patients than with a fun video?

Post on Thursday and Friday

There are always time frames with increased engagement on social media and these are the times you should be paying attention to. Facebook's optimal post times are on Thursday, Friday, and weekends. This is the time most patients will post or have more time to read and respond to content. Many are gearing down for the weekend and have more time for posting and scrolling. Take advantage of this extra exposure and link your regular website to your Facebook page to increase website traffic.

Facebook is a great tool for physician marketing. It is designed to help with getting new patients while getting to know the patients that you currently have. Using the tips above should help you with making your Facebook Page the place where patients go for information about your practice. So what are you waiting for? Get started!